Iraq is experiencing severe power outages following the United States’ decision to revoke sanctions waivers that enabled the country to import gas and electricity from neighboring Iran. This move aligns with US President Donald Trump’s policy of imposing extreme pressure on Iran.
In a statement released on Sunday by the US Department of State, the decision to not renew the waiver was made to ensure that Iran does not receive any economic or financial benefits.
The waiver, introduced in 2018, was a response to Trump abandoning a nuclear deal with Iran that had been negotiated under former US President Barack Obama. At that time, Trump imposed strict sanctions on any other country that purchased Iran’s oil. The waiver was extended to Iraq as it is considered a key partner of the US.
Trump, who recently returned to the White House for a second term as US president, has reinstated his policy of exerting maximum pressure against Iran. The goal of this campaign is to thwart Iran’s nuclear threat, limit its ballistic missile program, and stop its support for terrorist groups.
However, cutting off Iraq’s access to Iranian gas and electricity imports will be a challenging task for the country. Despite being rich in oil and gas, Iraq has faced electricity shortages due to years of conflict, corruption, and mismanagement. As a result, Iraq heavily relies on imported Iranian gas and direct electricity imports from Iran to meet its energy needs.
The expired waiver specifically applied to direct electricity imports, and it is unclear if Iraq will be able to continue importing gas from Iran for its power plants. Three Iraqi energy officials have stated that the country currently has no immediate alternatives to compensate for the energy imports from Iran. This situation will lead to significant problems in providing enough electricity to meet domestic consumption.
According to the US embassy in Baghdad, electricity imports from Iran account for only four percent of Iraq’s electricity consumption. However, Ahmad Moussa, a spokesperson for Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity, stated that if gas imports are also restricted, it would result in Iraq losing more than 30 percent of its electricity. The government is seeking alternatives to address this issue.
The decision by the US administration to remove the waiver comes two days after Trump expressed his willingness to engage in negotiations with Iran’s leadership regarding a nuclear deal. However, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejected the idea of negotiating with a “bully” interested in imposing conditions rather than initiating genuine talks.
While the Iranian mission to the United Nations suggested that Tehran might be open to discussing certain issues, they made it clear that they would not consider negotiations aimed at completely dismantling Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.
The landmark 2015 nuclear deal negotiated between Tehran and major powers had promised sanctions relief in return for Iran curbing its nuclear program. Although Iran initially adhered to the deal after Trump pulled out, it later rolled back commitments. US officials estimate that Iran now needs only weeks to build a nuclear bomb if it chooses to.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/9/us-ends-sanctions-waiver-for-iraq-to-buy-electricity-from-iran?traffic_source=rss
